Turkey says US supports its WTO textile proposals

Turkey, which is a significant textile and clothing producer, made the proposal last week in Geneva and "most of the countries supported it," Turkish State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen told Reuters after a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman.

"The companies in the United States, of course they are supporting it, and of course, I've got Ambassador Rob Portman's (support) also," Tuzmen said.

Many developing countries are worried China will push them out of top export markets like the United States, the European Union and Japan under a world trade deal that treats textiles like other manufactured goods.

Many of those countries have preferential access to the United States and other markets under various trade programs and fear those benefits will be eroded under a pact that cuts textile and clothing duties aggressively.

U.S. producers also want to maintain high tariff barriers against China and other low-cost Asian suppliers such as India, Vietnam and Pakistan.

In its proposal, Turkey said tariffs were "the only means of protection" left for textile and clothing producers following the end of a global quota system in January 2005.

It called for an approach that would allow certain textiles and clothing products to be spared from deep "formula" cuts contemplated for all manufactured products, in exchange for tariffs on other textiles and clothing to be cut further.

Source: reporter.gr